Meet Your Match
by heartbeat7
Summary: Paul Lahote is a hothead. Lucy Nokeen is a pacifist. He is impulsive. She thinks things through. He is a lone wolf. She wants to be taken care of. She's a feminist. Imprinting is supposed to match two people with what they need. Yet neither Paul nor Lucy ever thought they'd need each other.
1. Smiling Like an Idiot

"No. No. No!" I grumble and hit the steering wheel with the palm of my hand. The clock is moving much too fast and my car is going too slow. I can't be late again!

It's still dark outside because the gray clouds above are blocking any form of sunlight. It's going to rain. I love the rain, but I hate the repercussions. Whenever there's a bad storm, the rec center's policy is that no one under the age of 18 can leave until an all clear is given or they are picked up by an adult. Which means I'm on babysitting duty with a bunch of crying kids all freaking out about the rain.

I was hoping to duck out of work early to avoid the storm, but with the rate I'm driving, I'll probably have to work late to cover my absence.

I pull into the parking lot at 6:49. By the time I punch in, it's 7:00. I'm half an hour late and there's no way Dave is going to let this slide again. I sigh and make sure to tuck in the green T-shirt with the STAFF logo on the back before I take my place behind the counter in the fitness center.

_At least I get to wear jeans_, I think when I peer down at the daycare section. One wall of the fitness center is all glass so the parents can see their children down in the kid's area. The two people down there, Danny and Allie I think, have to wear khaki. I would be so miserable if I couldn't wear my jeans.

"Hey Lucy!" Joanna greets. She's a tiny little Asian woman who's worked here more years than my boss. She has the most upbeat personality around the whole rec center. She coughs and motions with her hand to her bun.

"Oh!" I gasp. I duck down below the desk, flip my hair over, and pull it into a loose bun. That's another thing Dave would write me up about if he caught me. "Thanks" I say to Joanna and type my password into the computer.

"No problem. How's Missy doing?"

I roll my eyes and hand her a stack of dollars to count. I take out all the coins and start separating them into one dollar piles. "She still won't listen to me. When did you start wearing makeup Jo?"

It takes her only a few seconds to think about this. "Probably in high school."

"Exactly" I say and place the coins back in the register after marking down how many I had on a sheet. "But every time I tell her she needs to wait, she doesn't listen. I've tried everything. I told her she's beautiful without it: and she is. I've told her it makes her look immature. Nothing works."

Joanna nods and hands me the stack of dollars. Now they are stacked so neatly that I'm afraid to touch them. They look so perfectly aligned. "It's because you're her sister" Joanna tells me. "She needs to hear it from someone else."

"Any ideas?" I laugh. We both know there's no one else. If she's going to listen to anyone, I'd be the only one that could ever break through to her.

The first man to step into the fitness center is an old guy that gets his workout by walking along the walls of the gym, doing ten squats, and then sitting on a machine and pretending to use it. Joanna greets him and swipes his card before handing him a towel with a smile. She is such a morning person.

"How's school going?" she asks.

I shrug. "I can't say I'm enjoying it. But spring break is in a few weeks and then I'll be free."

"Enjoy it because it'll go by fast. You may hate it now, but you'll miss it so much later."

I nod because that's probably true. Although, everyone told me that I would miss high school and I really don't for one reason: Paul Lahote. All throughout high school, that boy tortured me. He made sure that I knew I didn't belong. We didn't even go to the same school! And yet every day, he found me on my way home and made sure that I knew I didn't belong anywhere near the reservation. What an asshole.

I don't see him so much anymore. Oh the joys of college! I haven't seen that boy around and the few times I have, he has left me alone. Jared tells me it has to do with his new friends, Sam's gang. Jared and I have kept in touch all this time. Even when we started to grow apart for a few weeks, I pushed and made sure we kept contact. And now we are back to the way we've always been.

Around nine, the usual rush of people are in. Joanna and I are busy with signing people in and watching the people exercise. Joanna nudges me and points over to the treadmills. "Go check on that guy. He's been pushing himself pretty hard and I don't want to see him have a heart attack."

I nod and ease around the desk. The man on the treadmill is heading into his forties and he's got quite the gut. Yet, he's pounding it out on the treadmill. I nonchalantly glance at the screen. His heart rate is close to 190. I open my mouth and take a step forward, but then he drops the level and the pace slows to a walk. I hover around for a minute or two and make sure his heart rate is dropping. Only when it's at 150 do I walk away.

"He's alright" I report to Joanna and sit down on one of the rolling chairs. The rush has died down and now there's only the occasional fitness junkie that appears.

After we've both settled down, I pull up the weather station, the only website the center's computer will allow me to go to, and check the time of the storm. We've got another hour before it's supposed to be here. And I've got another three of work. I sigh and close the site.

"So guess who's getting married" Joanna suddenly announces, her eyes on her phone.

A list of people flicker through my mind. But the one that stands out the most is this guy that used to work with us last year. He had been dating this one coffee shop girl for three years now. "Matt?" I exclaim.

Joanna nods, a wide grin on her lips.

I nearly scream and tackle her for the phone. I don't really need to though, because a minute later, my phone goes off. I throw Joanna her phone and flip mine open. "It's from Matt" I announce and open the message.

_Hey Lucy! I'm getting married! And you are officially being forced to be a bridesmaid. Call you when you're out of work!_

The rest of the afternoon I was in a blissful haze. I was so excited! And best of all, one of the daycare girls got pulled to do babysitting for the under-18-ers when the storm broke through. "You sure you don't want me to get you dinner?" I asked Joanna as I signed the cash out sheet.

She shook her head. "I'll be fine. Just another hour."

"Alright, see you tomorrow" I said and gave her a quick hug. I raced down the stairs to the lobby and flew out the front door. A loud crack of thunder sounded overhead and I jumped. The sky was the darkest grey I'd seen in a long time. The clouds hadn't released much rain yet though.

I dashed to my car and managed to escape with only a specked shirt and not a drenched one. I shoved the key in the ignition and rubbed my hands together, waiting for the car to heat up. And just as I was buckling my seatbelt, my phone began to ring.

I almost screamed and fumbled with shaking fingers to answer. "Matt! Why didn't you tell me you were going to propose?"

He laughed on the other end. "Easy there Lucy. I didn't say anything because I didn't really know I was going to do it. The moment was just right. How are you by the way?"

"Oh who cares about me" I laughed. "You're getting married, Matt! Married!"

Again he laughed and I could hear him sigh. "I know. Wow. Never thought I'd actually be doing this. But Karen's got me wrapped around her finger."

"Good" I laughed. "That's how it ought to be. When's the wedding?" The car had finally warmed up, so I put it in drive and pulled out of the parking lot.

"Not sure yet. We were thinking next June, but we're not sure yet. It really depends on Karen and her family. She is the bride after all."

"Bet that felt good saying that" I teased.

He sighed. "You have no idea. I keep calling her Mrs. Parson. You should see her blush. It's pretty funny."

I pulled onto the main road that divided La Push and Forks. My house was about a mile down on the La Push side, much to the council's dislike. On the left was the forest, and the right was all reservation. "I'm sure she doesn't find it too funny."

"Nah. But still…"

Matt was cut off by my ear-piercing scream. A tall, tan man in only cutoffs ran out into the street from the forest. I slammed on the breaks and turned the wheel as far to the right as possible. But with the wet road, I lost traction and my little car collided with the guy.

"Lucy?" Matt's panicked voice reached my ears.

"Call you back!" I shouted and jumped out of the car. There was no traffic and I jumped into the street and raced around to the front of the car. The guy was lying on the road with his hand by his head.

"Oh my God!" I screamed. I wasted no time and dug my fingers into his neck, searching for a pulse. I jumped back feeling his burning skin. There was a pulse though.

With a groan, the man opened his eyes. "I am so sorry" I apologized. "I'm calling an ambulance" I say and quickly dial 9-1-1.

"I'm fine" he barks and brushes me off. His eyes meet mine and we both freeze.

His eyes widened and he took a sharp intake of breath. All the anger once in those chocolate orbs faded away and he actually smiled. He had been hit by a car and yet he was smiling like an idiot.

My eyes were just as wide. I had hit this guy, full on, with my car and yet he was fine. More than fine. Perfect. Not a scratch, bruise, or any bleeding. I took a step back and watched with wary eyes as he stood without any difficulty. No soreness.

"That's impossible" I gasped.

He snapped back to reality and grabbed my phone. I could hear the dispatcher ask what the emergency was just as he snapped the phone shut. "I'm fine" he says again, but this time much kinder.

I shake my head. "You need an ambulance. At least let me take you to the hospital" I beg when he stands up. "Are you dizzy?"

"No. I'm Paul" he says sarcastically.

I laugh and shake his hand. This has to be the weirdest thing that's ever happened to me. I've just hit a guy with my car and he's not hurt and not threatening to sue me. "Lucy."

A loud howl rips through the air and I jump. What the heck is that? Wolves don't come that close to the street do they? And when there's still a little sunlight?

Paul looks off desperately into the woods. He turns back to me with longing eyes. "I'm really sorry" he apologizes for a reason I don't know. "I have to go."

"Wait!" I shout, sure he's going to collapse or fall into shock. I didn't even give him my insurance or anything. And there he goes, running back into the trees. What the hell is he? Some kind of Tarzan?

My phones starts to ring like mad and I answer it as I inspect the front of my car. "Are you ok?" Matt asks, panicked.

"I'm fine" I say and shake my head. There's a huge dent in the front of my car. I can feel myself slipping into shock. My _car _ is dented, but the _man_ is fine. I shake my head and just climb back into my car. I'll think more about it later; when I'm home and not in danger of going into shock or getting into another accident.

"What the heck happened? You gave me a heart attack!" he scolds me.

"I hit someone with my car" I nearly whisper.

He still hears me and he explodes. "You what? Call 9-1-1! Are you on the phone with them now? Here, I'll hang up" he says.

"Wait!" and when I still hear his breathing I continue. "The guy ran off. Said he was fine. He looked fine too."

"What do you mean? You hit him with your car!"

"I know. But he was seriously _fine._ There was nothing wrong with him. Nothing at all. It's really starting to freak me out."

"Do you know his name or anything?"

"His name is Paul. That's all I know. He's probably from the res because he looks like a native."

"Are _you _ ok? Do you want me to come down there?"

I shake my head and then realize he can't see me. I haven't started driving yet because now I'm afraid that I really can't talk and drive at the same time. And I'm not going to hit another person because they might not be… whatever that Paul guy is that keeps him from dying at the hands of my car.

"I'm fine. Stay up there with Karen. I'm fine."

He sighs but after a little convincing he tells me to call him with updates and hangs up. I drive home much more carefully than normal.

And when I pull into the garage, I don't even look at the dent again. I just sit down on the couch, turn on some trash TV, and try and forget about the guy I should have killed that's running around in the woods. Running around in the woods completely unharmed.

"What the hell?" I ask myself.


	2. Blackmailed

It's cold outside today. I'm dressed in a T-shirt and shorts with sweatpants and a hoodie over it. I have the heat blazing in my car and yet I'm still freezing. I'm seriously thinking about going home and forgetting the workout. But I glance down at my stomach and decide to keep going. I'm losing those abs I'd worked so hard for all year and now that it's summer, there is no excuse not to have nice abs.

Joanna is there and waves me by without making me pay or swipe my membership card. I smile gratefully. I love that woman.

I go to the locker room first and stuff all of my sweats into one of the lockers and pin the key to my shirt. Then I jump on one of the treadmills. I love to run. I will admit that it's pretty miserable when you start getting tired and you have to push yourself, but that first half hour or so when you feel like you're flying is the best there is.

I set the treadmill to a decent level and my feet start flying. I place my hands on the heart rate monitor and watch as my heart starts beating faster and faster. I feel beads of sweat starting to form on the back of my neck. My eyes flicker to the windows and I watch the people in the pool below. I hate listening to music while I run, it takes away from my awareness, so I watch the people swim. Usually there's someone I recognize, but not today.

I'm so caught up in watching the people below, that I don't realize there's someone next to me until I feel their fingers brush my shoulder. I jump a foot high and punch the stop button just before I slip off the belt.

"Scare much?" he teases.

I'm about to tell him off when I start to recognize that face. It's the guy who I ran over who should be dead now. I can't really be mean to him now. So instead I say nothing and start the treadmill again.

To my annoyance, he climbs onto the treadmill next to mine. I try and ignore him but he's leaning over and reading my screen. And if there's something that I can't stand, it's nosy people. "Can I help you?" I snap.

He just shrugs and turns back to his own treadmill. I try and keep running but now that guy is really starting to bother me. Why was he looking over at my treadmill? What did he want? Was that smirk because he thinks I'm running slow? I glance down at my screen. I've run three miles in twenty minutes. That's not slow. I shake my head. What an ass.

I can't keep running now that this guy is next to me, so I get off my treadmill and move over to the machines. Now I'm not too strong, but I don't really care what people think. A lot of guys give me looks when I move over to the machines. They make me feel like I'm not good enough to lift. Well, I am and I don't care so I keep working anyway.

And then there's that stupid guy again. What the heck does he want? He smirks at me and flexes his biceps. I feel my cheeks heat up and look away. I can hear his snickering. Then again, I wouldn't have heard it if he wasn't following me everywhere.

I get up and toss my towel over my shoulder. "What's your deal?" I snap.

He's sitting at a machine and lifting. My eyes betray me and sneak over to see how much he is lifting. And I can't say I'm not impressed, he's lifting over 100 pounds. And he sure as hell looks like he can. That russet body is all muscle. And he's huge!

Paul leans forward onto his knees with that same smirk. "Doesn't seem like I'm bothering you" he laughed and leaned back.

I shook my head and felt my cheeks burn again. This guy is really infuriating. "I don't really appreciate you stalking me."

"Don't flatter yourself. I'm not stalking you."

"Whatever. Just leave me alone." I'm so frustrated by Paul that I just skip the rest of my workout and go back into the locker room. At least I know he can't follow me here. I pulled on my sweats and placed the key back in the locker. I glance in the mirror and today for some reason, I have a million flaws apparently. My hair is sticking out of its bun and because I'm not wearing any makeup I look overtired.

With a sigh, I tear my eyes from the mirror and wave goodbye to Joanna. I give the parking lot a quick glance and look for that Paul guy. I don't want him knowing where I live. It's bad enough that he's followed me around the gym. Any more of this and I will go to the police. Or maybe the council because he appears to be a native.

I sit in the car for a few minutes to let the heat start. It's still cold in the car despite the heat blasting but I have to get going. The steering wheel is like ice beneath my fingers and I shiver involuntarily. Two seconds before pulling out of the parking lot, I see a blur of color behind me and I slam on the brakes.

_Not again_, I think as I hurry out of my car. I stop dead in my tracks and debate climbing back into the car and speeding away. He stands there with a smirk and his eyes roam over my body. I feel very self-conscious and back away to my car.

"Are you sure you passed driver's ed?"

"Wouldn't keep happening if you'd leave me alone" I snap and duck into my car. I don't care if I did hurt him. Maybe he'll leave me alone now.

Of course that's not the case though. He ducks his head into my window and I shriek. And now I'm screwed. Because I can't drive away or I'll decapitate him. I start rolling up the window. His hand flies forward and I flinch, thinking he's reaching for me. This is how it ends. Getting kidnapped by some creepy ass dude I ran over.

I peek my eyes open and see his hand on the window pushing it down so it doesn't roll up all the way. I sigh and stop trying to roll it up because I don't want to break my window. But he didn't stop pushing and with a loud **crack **my window completely shattered.

And now I'm mad.

I stay in my car because I'm honestly terrified of this guy, but I am not going to let this go. "What is your problem?"

"Sorry 'bout that" he says not looking the least bit sorry. I shiver as the cool air leaks into my toasty car. This guy is really starting to make my blood boil. "Tell you what. You let me take you out to dinner and we forget about this."

I shake my head. "Do you know how much this is going to cost to fix?"

"Less than a lawsuit for hitting a pedestrian" he shoots back.

I gasp. Is he really black mailing me? His alluring eyes say it all. He totally means to blackmail me into this dinner. And as much as my mind is telling me this is wrong, after all this guy has been stalking me, I have to accept. I can't afford to get my ass sued. I'm a college student with a mediocre job. I can't afford anything.

"Where?" I snap darkly.

Me smirks because he has won and I shiver again. This time though, not because of the cold. "Meet me at Donny's at seven."

I shake my head and he leaves with a cocky grin.

Oh well. It's one date. Just one. It doesn't mean anything. And it's not going to spawn anything.


	3. Crazy Dates

It takes a whole lot of effort to get myself to step inside the restaurant. I can see my car from the front windows and I want desperately to run back to it. But I suck it up and turn back. I don't want to get sued and I really can't _afford_ to get sued. Time to be a big girl and get this over with.

The man at the front desk puts down the phone. "Hi, how can I help you?"

I sigh and resist the urge to run again. "I'm supposed to meet someone here."

He nods at me as if I'm a child. "Name?"

"Paul?" I say unsure. That was his name right? Oh God! I'm going on a date with someone that I don't know at all.

An eyebrow raises and then there's a little crinkle of a grin. "Paul what?"

"Umm…" This sucks. I shouldn't be here. I take a half step backwards but then the man calls out to me and I have to turn back.

"Are you Lucy?"

I'm afraid to nod but I do anyway.

"Right this way" he says and motions for me to follow him. I sigh and feel my shoulders slope just a little.

Donny's is a sweet little place with low lights and comfortable furniture. The tables are worn and soft now and the chairs have little scratches from all the keys that have landed on them. It would really be a sweet place to have a first date if it wasn't for the fact that I was being blackmailed into this.

I don't know what I expected. I really don't. Some part of me was expecting Paul to show up in some casts because I did hit him with my car. Or even shirtless because that's the only way I've ever seen him. What I didn't expect was to see Paul sitting at a table with an actual shirt on and stabbing forks into the table. The fork was standing straight up.

I gulped and sat down across from him. The guy quickly disappeared after receiving a look from Paul. This was definitely a bad idea.

Paul reaches forward and I recoil. He smiles at me and plucks the fork from the table. "So tell me Jumpy, what's new with you?"

I ignore the name-calling for the moment. "What do really seek to gain from this?"

Paul shrugs and twirls the fork around his fingers. "A date with a beautiful woman."

Oh and here come the cheesy lines. What girl falls for this stuff? "Uh huh" I say sarcastically.

He rolls his eyes and finally puts down the fork. "I don't care if you believe me. I get to date you either way." He's so smug it drives me crazy. I'm seriously debating walking out right now and telling him just to take me to court.

But I have to get one point across first. "We are not _dating_. I'm not even sure this can be considered a date. I'm here because you're blackmailing me. Don't think otherwise."

I watch as his eyebrows raise in that cocky smirk of his. Oh he makes my blood boil. "We'll see" he says as if I don't find him repulsive.

I could have said something back, I had about a thousand things I wanted to say, but a waitress approached and she didn't need to hear us bicker. "What can I get the two of you?"

I shivered at the way she combined the two of us.

Something in Paul alights when he hears the mentioning of food. Must be a guy thing. "A rack of ribs, two ears of corn, some mac and cheese, and whatever she wants" he says and motions to me.

I'm caught with my mouth open at how much food he ordered. I haven't even looked at a menu. And I can't exactly say I'll have what he's having because I don't want all that. "Umm… I'll just have a salad."

I don't even know if the waitress knows I'm here. She's still in shock as I am about how much this boy can eat. And her eyes seem to linger on his abs. Perfect. I can set her up with him and I'm home free. "What's your name?" I ask her.

"Heather" she answers immediately. She doesn't look like a Heather. I'd picture a Heather having soft brown hair and a motherly look to her. She looks more like an Amy, blonde hair and a very _feminine_ body.

"I'd like you to meet my cousin Paul."

Hey eyes light up and his narrow on me. She opens her mouth but he beats her to it. "You can leave now" he says rather rudely.

She stumbles when she walks away. "That wasn't very nice" I say to Paul.

He only shrugs and interlaces his fingers, placing his chin atop them. "So what's so interesting about you?"

"I think you should answer that question because you're stalking me."

"I think you're pretty hot which is weird because I wouldn't have ever pictured myself with someone like you." Wow, he really knows how to talk to girls. I hold back the eye roll until he's finished because I'm sure my eyes will roll out of my head if I do it every time. "Otherwise, I'm not sure yet 'cause I don't really know you."

"Exactly" I breath out slowly.

He only smirks again. "I'm thinking you're pretty independent. But I bet deep down what you really want is some strong arms wrapped around you" he says and wraps his _own_ arms around an invisible figure. What a creep.

"You know you're blackmailing me into this didn't clarify that I needed to speak with you" I point out.

He doesn't stop though. "And you seem pretty smart because there are about a thousand simpler ways to say that. I bet you were one of those girls that always had some book with her in high school. And you got straight As too, right?"

My foot began to tap under the table. He didn't seem to notice.

"Anything else?" I bite back.

His eyes grow a little darker and I regret asking. He leans closer and licks his lips like a real pervert. "I bet you'd look great without all that clothes on."

My chair flies back so fast I think I give the man behind me a heart attack. And if not him, Heather who's returned with our food. She gives me a look and her eyes look longingly at Paul. I huff and shake my head before slamming my chair back into place and turning on my heel.

"Girlfriends" Paul laughs a booming laugh that I can still hear as I walk away. "Even they don't love you when they PMS."

My cheeks burn red, from anger or embarrassment I don't know.

Heather stutters. "I thought she was your cousin."

"We inbreed" he says and I hear another chair slide across the floor.

Now I know the red is from embarrassment. Sue me. I don't care. I might just sue this guy for harassment. This has to be worse than that time Matt tried to set me up with his friend who announced he could see my bra through my shirt in front of everyone waiting in line at the movie theatre.

Not surprisingly, it's raining outside. I'm soaked the second I step foot outside. Also not surprising, Paul follows me out.

He reaches for my arm and turns me around. "Leave me alone!" I scream and hope that I'm making a scene.

"Lucy" he says as if I'm the one at fault. As if I'm the one who needs help.

I shake out of his grasp and it hurts my wrist a little but I don't let on. "Don't talk to me. You don't even _know_ me!"

His eyes narrow a little and he looks rather fierce in the rain. I take a step back and instinctively move my keys in my hand so they can be used as a weapon. "I know you work at the community gym" he says and steps forward. "I know you live on the border of La Push. I know you're allergic to tree nuts. I know you're last name is Nokeen."

I step further back and bump into my car. "You really have been stalking me" I say alarmed.

He shakes his head. "Please. That'd be too much time. I simply remember."

I watch his cocky face for a few seconds. He remembers? That means I know him. I look a little closer and start to see something in those eyes. That cockiness. That confidence. That _asshole_!

Paul _fucking _Lahote!

He smiles when he sees me begin to remember.

I slam my thumb onto the unlock button. I dive into my car and lock the doors behind me. I don't wait for it to start heating up before I back up. I roll down my window for just long enough to scream out to him. "I hate you asshole!"

I have the steering wheel in a white-knuckled grip. Because there's that jerk smirking in the rain. "God why did I have to hit _him_?"


	4. Phone Calls

I'm raging when I get home. This has to be the most infuriated I've ever been. I can't even see straight when I sit down. I'm so mad at Paul! How dare he just step back into my life like he was my friend or something? And a date? Last time we talked he made it very clear he did not see me as date worthy. What's he playing at? Who's watching and waiting to point fingers at me and laugh?

I call the only person I know will tell me the truth if he is in on this. He answers after three rings and I've started to calm down some. "Hello?"

"Hey Jared."

I can literally hear his smile through the phone. "Lucy? Where have you been? I've called you like a hundred times!"

"I know, I know. Work is really killing me lately with all the storms. I need to ask you something." I twirl a strand of hair around my finger until it curls. Jared wouldn't lie to me, right?

"Sure, anything."

"Tell me what Paul's up to."

There's silence on the other end of the phone for a minute. "Paul Lahote?" Jared asks and sounds farther away now.

I nod even though he can't see. "Yeah. Him."

More silence and then a sigh. "What's he been doing?" Jared sounds like an older brother ready to go kick some ass and I love that about him. If I had an older brother I'd want it to be him. Instead I've got a younger sister who I worry about like crazy. Life didn't deal me the right cards. I need an older brother right now who's going to protect me. Not a little sister who's going to find this stalking situation romantic and encourage me to make sure he still wants to stalk me.

Yeah, I won't be telling her anything about this.

"The guy's following me" I say and fall back onto my bed. "He asked me out on a _date_. Is he trying to make fun of me?"

Jared exhales slowly. "I shouldn't be the one explaining this" he grumbles but I still catch it. "Alright. Paul is an asshole."

"Yes" I say with a nod of my head. "That I knew."

"But he's not making fun of you."

I feel my forehead crease and I roll over so I can look out my window. "Then what's up? The guy hated me all my life and now he's asking me out? Something's up Jared."

There's a pause for a second. "Would you believe he changed?"

I roll my eyes. "He's still an asshole."

"No. I mean would you believe his feelings for you have changed?"

"No" I answer immediately. "There's no way that's possible. How could that even happen? We haven't seen each other since high school. And even then I would hardly ever see him. There's no way he could just think of me one day and decide that I'm actually worth his time all of a sudden."

"Well then I can't help you" Jared laughs. "Let's talk about something else."

"Fine" I say. "But only if you promise to keep him away from me."

"I'll do what I can" he says with a laugh.

"I'm glad you find this so funny."

He laughs for a second and then chokes it back. "I'm sorry" he says and his voice rises when he holds back another laugh.

"It's not funny!" I demand and jump up from my bed. "This guy is stalking me!"

"Who is?"

I spin on my heal so quickly that I almost fall over. Shit! Missy watches me with wide, excited eyes. What exactly could be so appealing about stalking? "No one" I say and try and shoo her out of the room.

She won't have that though. She makes her way into my room and sits down on my small dresser. Her eyes are trained on the phone and I wonder if she's trying to hear by seeing. "Jared I…"

"It's cool. Call me later" he says and hangs up. I really need to hang out with him more often. He's the perfect friend.

When I throw my phone onto my bed, Missy's eyes darken and her face falls a little. "What's going on?" she asks.

"Don't worry about it" I say with ease and shake my head.

But she just won't let it go. I don't know what makes her think that she has the right to know everything that's going on in my life, but in her eyes, it's a divine right. "Tell me!" she shouts.

I pray that Dad isn't home because the last thing I want is him on my case as well about this.

"It's none of your business" I snap. Usually I'll give her just a little detail of what happened if she finds out, just to satisfy her craving for gossip, but I can't with this. Any little thing will just lead to more questions and more of a push from Missy. And besides, there really is nothing little about this. I'm being stalked. That's about all there is to it. The only other thing she doesn't know is who's doing the stalking.

"Lucy! I'll tell Dad!"

"Tell him what?" She and I both know that she's got nothing on me. I'm very careful to avoid home as much as possible except for sleeping. And I don't always sleep here just in case.

What am I going to do during summer? I can only work so much. And without school as an excuse, I'm going to have to spend more time at home. What I need is a really good friend who will help me escape when I need to. I'd say Jared, but he's been really busy with work and hanging out with some of the natives. He's grown a lot closer to them, but I can't blame him. He and those boys share so much in common and the two of us are polar opposites.

Scratch that. _Paul_ and I are polar opposites. What the heck is his problem? Does he not remember torturing me because I am the _white girl_? Because I very clearly remember him pulling up to me when I was walking home and calling me all sorts of names that all come back to my race.

Figures. Only in La Push can white people really be considered a minority. I'd move but that requires money that I just don't have.

Missy jumps from my dresser and the thump startles me. She crosses her arms over her chest and pouts like a toddler. Her eyes, I notice, are clad in thick, dark makeup that makes her look sickly and vaguely like a raccoon. I'd say something but what's the point if it's only going to lead to an argument. I don't want to fight with her.

And thankfully her phone rings. The song is loud and one of those new pop ones that are irritating beyond words. She squeals and answers quickly. She's out of my room faster than I could have ever gotten her out. I only catch a few words from her, but they're enough to let me know why she doesn't want me to listen. "Oh hey John…"

John. Don't think I've ever met this one. I'll have to look for some pictures later. He better not be one of the friends of that guy with all the piercings. I can't handle another Damien. I swear, the people Missy attracts. I'd lock her up if she was my daughter. But Dad doesn't seem to care because he's not around enough to meet these guys.

I sigh and decide I might as well call Jared back now. Missy will be distracted for a few hours with this new boy so I've got some time to speak freely. I pick up my phone, but just as I start to punch in Jared's number, my phone lights up.

"Hello?" I answer.

"Hey Luce. Sorry if I'm bugging you. Got a second."

I sigh overdramatically. "I guess. But only for you."

"Good" he laughs. "So I know this is kind of last minute, but would you like to go see a movie with me and a couple of friends?"

I shrug. "Sounds good. Am I driving? Or can you pick me up?"

Jared scoffs. "What kind of gentleman would I be if I made you drive?"

"A terrible one" I laugh. "What time?"

"Seven-ish?" He sounds so unsure that I just have to laugh.

"You sure about that?"

"I'm a guy, Lucy. I'll get there when I get there."

"I'll be ready" I say.

"You better be" he teases. "I will not wait around while you fix your hair and whatnot."

"I don't fix my hair for you" I answer.

He gasps. "Ouch. That one hurt."

"Good" I laugh. "See you in a bit."

"See you soon" he says. I hang up and do fix my hair a little, but only because I feel so unlike myself after being out with Paul. I shiver. I went on a date with Paul _Lahote_. Granted, I went so that I wouldn't get sued. But still. Who am I?

I figure I should probably let Missy know she's going to be home alone. I used to worry about leaving her alone. At first it was because she was so young and I was scared for her. Then I started worrying that she was bringing guys around and doing _things_ with them while we were gone. But eventually, I had no choice but to stop caring so much. If she's going to do that kind of stuff, she has all the opportunity when I'm at school and I have no say in that. And besides, I have to live my own life. I worry about her, but it's her life and her choices. Not mine.

I knock on her door and it's flung open a second later. She glares at me for a second and tells that Josh or Jack guy to hold on. "What?" she mouths.

"I'm leaving" I say.

She shrugs and rolls her eyes before slamming her door in my face.

God I'm asking _you_ to keep her from getting pregnant now.

I've got to worry about a stalker and I don't have time to figure out the inner workings of my thirteen year old sister's mind. I shiver again. That's one of those places I really don't want to go.


	5. Movies

**Author's Note**: Quick quiz! What happens when you mix a tired teenager and an oh so tempting publish button? Chapter five of Meet Your Match that was NOT supposed to be published! REPEAT: Wanting to Die is not a part of Meet Your Match. I think I caught it before too many people read it. So please disregard it as the events in that chapter were an idea of mine but now that they were published too early, I've decided not to use them. Please disregard that chapter! Thanks!

It's seven and I'm waiting in the driveway because for once, it's actually nice outside tonight and I don't want to miss a moment. Missy is the opposite. She's locked herself in her room and I wouldn't have known if she was still breathing if it wasn't for all the chatting coming through the walls. Whatever. Dad will be home in a couple of hours and then she's his problem. I've done all I can do.

Jared's beat up truck pulls into the driveway and the lights blind me for a second. The music is blasting and I smile. I pull open the door and my smile dropped. The truck is packed with people. Jared smiles at me over two heads. "Hey Lucy!"

"Can I fit in here?" I ask and scan the truck for an empty space.

It's as if Jared doesn't realize he's in car full of other people. He turns and his eyes widen. He runs a hand through his hair. "Guess I picked up more people than I knew" he laughs.

I shake my head. "It's fine. I'll drive and follow you guys."

"No. I said I will drive you. Hey guys!" he shouts over the music. Kim reaches forward from the passenger seat and turns the radio down.

"Hey Kim" I greet with a little wave as well.

She smiles at me. Looks like we're going to be the only girls tonight. "Hey Lucy."

Jared is busy trying to push one of the guys into the back of the truck. "No one is going to be a gentleman and give up his seat?" he tries to guilt them. The guys in the back share a look and shake their heads. Nice to know I have such caring friends.

"I vote Embry" Jacob says and raises his hand.

"Embry" Quill says with a nod.

"Definitely Embry" Seth agrees from between Jared and Kim. He looks so funny sitting between the two of them, so awkward.

Embry rolls his eyes and climbs out the window and into the back. I'm pulled into the truck by a couple pairs of arms and I buckle up. "Sorry Embry" I say and turn to talk out the window.

He brushes it off and smiles. "Don't worry. Nice to see you getting out."

I laugh. "Tell me about it."

Seth reaches forward and turns the music back up. I groan and throw my head back. "Not this Seth!"

Jacob laughs. "Not an Adele fan?"

I shake my head and groan because Seth just turns it up louder. "This song plays all the time at work" I shout over the music.

"We could have had it ALL!" Seth belts out the lyrics at the top of his lungs.

"Seth!" I scream and smack him in the back of the head. He doesn't seem fazed.

So admitting this song bothers me was the dumbest thing I could have done. Because as soon as the other boys saw how annoyed I was by it, they all moved closer and started to sing horribly off-key. "Rolling in the DEEP!"

"STOP!" I cry and turn to Embry. "Can we trade?" I beg.

He just laughs and leans his back against the window. "I kind of like it out here."

Eventually, Kim is my savior and turns the radio down. The boys aw and boo and she recoils a little. "I'm getting a headache" she explains. One look from concerned Jared and the guys stop. He's so protective of her and it's so adorable. I love their relationship. It's beautiful. You can just tell that he cares so much for her it's insane. And she'd be lost without him.

Jared pulls into the movie theatre parking lot. We scare the hell out of a couple of tweens when all seven of us jump out of the truck. And I can't blame them. There are five ridiculously huge, native guys and the two white girls. The guys are probably way more intimidating than Kim and I.

Jared has his arm around Kim and I feel kind of lonely because I have no guy to do the same for me. Don't get me wrong, there's nothing wrong with being single. But I'm eighteen and I've never had a boyfriend. Just once it would be nice to have someone who cares about me and wants to hold me close.

I get a mental flash of Paul pretending to hold me. I shiver and shake that thought out of my head.

"What are we going to see?" I ask.

There's a long list of movies I want to see over spring break. At the top is of course the new Disney movie. I'll be a Disney girl all my life. Then there's one of those superhero movies. It's looking to be very promising. There's only two that I really don't want to see. The crappy romance one about the guy who picks the girl with no personality and the horror movie. I think it has something to do with zombies or whatever. All I know is there is a whole lot of unnecessary blood and guts.

So of course what do the guys pick?

"Zombie Slaughter!"

Kim and I both subtly show our dislike of the movie but the guys don't seem to notice. "Hi, we need seven…"

All the guys' heads snap to the right. I turn as well and quickly disappear behind Seth and Quill. Why? Why tonight?

"Make that eight for Zombie Slaughter" Jared says. "Hey Paul."

Jared's eyes meet mine and I give him the coldest glare I can manage. Didn't we _just_ talk about this? And he invites the guy. Jared mouths a quick "Sorry". I give him a what-the-hell look. He just shrugs. Clearly he didn't invite Paul.

The other guys say hi. Paul's eyes are roaming the crowd and somehow I know he's looking for me. He spots me wedged between the two guys and smirks. "Hello Lucy" he says trying to act suave.

I say nothing but step over to Jared and Kim and follow them into the theatre. I can feel Paul right behind me and that makes me pick up my pace a little more. What is with this guy? There are plenty of desperate girls out there looking for a muscular guy. He wouldn't need to stalk them.

Jared heads for the top row. I smile for a second because I forget that I'm currently being stalked. Jared sits down and Kim sits next to him. I sit next to her and turn with my fingers crossed. The line of Quileute boys is currently backed up because Paul is trying to squeeze past Jacob to sit next to me. But Jake isn't letting him past. I smile when Jacob runs forward and plops down next to me. I like this boy.

"Thanks" I mouth.

"Welcome" he mouths back and squeezes my shoulders quickly.

While we are waiting for the movie to actually start, we get to talking about school and then work and then somehow relationships. "So lovebirds, when's the wedding?" Quill teases.

Jared and Kim are too busy making out to answer. I lean closer to Jacob. Maybe it wouldn't have been so bad sitting next to Paul. This is getting really awkward. Seth seems to notice this too. He laughs. "How are you liking your seat Lucy?"

I shake my head. "Trade?"

Seth holds his hands up. "I'm not getting anywhere near that. Just remind them to use protection ok?"

"Ew! Seth!" I say and cover my face. That is one image I didn't need in my head. Jared and Kim are still oblivious.

When our laughter dies down, we are glared at by that same group of tweens. I have to say, they have guts to almost start a fight with these guys. We glare right back. Just to piss them off, Embry places his feet on top of one of their chairs and doesn't take them off for three minutes. They say nothing and try and ignore us. Smart choice.

"So how about you Lucy? Any boyfriends?"

I feel myself shrink into my chair when all eyes are on me. "Um… no" I say a little quietly.

"Aw!" they coo. Jake pulls me over and messes up my hair. "We need to set you up."

Out of the corner of my eye, I see Paul smirk. Yeah right. Like I'd go on another date with him.

I just shake my head. "I'm good."

Paul leans forward now. I'm a little afraid of what he'll say. Would he tell the others about our date? I would die right here. "Sure you are" he says and raises one eyebrow suggestively. "When's the last time you…"

"I'm going to cut you off right there" Jared says. I thank God we are friends. This boy seems to save me half the time… and then throw me under the bus the other half. "I don't want to know about Lucy's sex life." See what I mean. I try and melt into my seat. I push myself as far back into it, hoping I'll simply pass through it and live out the next few hours in the fibers of the chair. But I'm not that lucky. My face burns in a blush but it's dark so only I know how embarrassed I am.

The guys are a roaring mess of laughter. I try and drown them out and focus on the commercials playing on the screen. It's to no avail. "Aw" Seth coos. He's hopped over seats so now he's practically atop of Jake. "Is Lucy embarrassed?" He reaches forward and pinches my cheek. I slap him away and pout like a toddler.

"I don't like you guys" I grumble.

They are off laughing again.

"Lay off guys." He is brief and aggressive and the guys are quick to quiet down. Probably from the shock that Paul Lahote, the boy who tormented me all through high school, has decided to stand up for me. Is it a full moon?

I turn to see what's up with him, maybe he's sick or something. Paul catches my glance and smirks and wiggles his eyebrows. I scoff and turn back to the commercials. That boy is more bipolar than I thought was possible. His emotional range has to be greater than a girl who is PMSing. One minute he hates me, then he's flirting with me, then he's sticking up for me, then he's a pervert all over again.

The movie is as bad as I thought. It's a lot of gore and pointlessness. This is exactly why I want to study pharmacology and not nursing: the blood. Yes, I know this is a movie. And yes, I know the chances of something this gory coming into my sight is probably one to a million. But still, I'm wincing constantly and looking away whenever body parts leave the body. What sick mind comes up with this stuff? I wonder what their nightmares are like.

Kim would probably be worse than me, except she's distracted by a certain boy's lips. And so she has seen all of five minutes of the movie. Jacob is laughing, yes _laughing_, next to me. I keep throwing him looks but he only starts cracking up. Seriously, I'm about to throw up and he thinks this is hilarious. Paul is stone-faced as usual. I can't tell if he likes the movie or not. He probably doesn't even know. He's too busy putting on that too-cool-for-emotions façade.

Oh and look! He's attracted some girls with it. They are a row over and shamelessly staring at Paul. He's somewhat interested. I can see him eye them every once in a while. I just roll my eyes and try and watch some more of the movie.

But it's really embarrassing when you are the only one in the whole theatre that screams during the scary part because you anticipated it. All eyes are on me as I'm curled into my seat with my eyes anywhere but the screen. And it just so happens that Paul and I share a glance.

I don't know how it happens. He reaches his arm out, Jake must help because there's no way he could pull me on his own, and I land in his lap. I glare up at him but he only smirks. He leans down as I struggle in his arms. This is so creepy. I don't want to be anywhere near him. "I'm just trying to mess with those girls" he snaps and restrains me more.

I roll my eyes. Typical Paul. He can't even be a romantic stalker. No, he uses me to make another group of girls jealous. Typical Paul. "Let me go Paul" I snap, disrupting the movie for the other guys.

"Come on Paul!" Embry snaps and shoves Paul but ultimately I'm the one taking the blunt of the blow. "Just let her go."

Paul growls like an animal and now I really don't want to be near him.

Jake, with a long, exaggerated sigh, moves over and takes my old seat. He smiles at me though when Paul deposits me on his abandoned seat with a grumble and another growl in Emby's direction. What is he? The Wolverine?

Throughout the rest of the movie, I can feel Paul's eyes on me. And it creeps the hell out of me. I move closer to Jacob to kind of throw an invisible barrier between the two of us. He doesn't get it and keeps on staring. Creepy.

I don't know what has me more freaked out when the movie is over: all the different ways characters lost limbs, or Paul's incessant staring. We all pile back into Jared's car and Paul wanders off again. No one seems too worried and I'm a little relieved.

Seth's song of choice to annoy the life out of me with is My Humps. "Seth this is so awkward!" I complain and try and cover my ears. His voice easily breaks through that barrier though. He's sitting next to me this time and I just want to throw myself out of the moving truck. I turn back to Jake who's thoroughly enjoying the bed of the truck. "No trade?"

He pretends to ponder this. "What do you got to offer?"

"Well" I laugh. "Besides the charming backseat neighbors, there's the optimal breeze from the back window."

He taps his chin. "Tempting…"

"And of course, let's not forget about the surround sound stereo system. It plays nonstop." Seth unfortunately takes this as his cue to sing louder.

"I'll have to pass" Jake laughs.

I sigh and throw my head back. A little too far apparently because the back of my head hits the glass. "Ow" I say and rub the back of my head.

"Paul would kill me if he saw that" Jared mumbles but somehow I catch it.

Paul? Why the hell would he care?

I look out the window and nod happily. It is a full moon tonight. Well that explains all the weirdness.

I think.


	6. Crayons and Storms

I've never seen it rain this bad in La Push. And it rains every day. But today, the treetops are touching the ground and power lines are down everywhere. The windows are being pelted with rain so much so that I'm afraid the glass is going to crack. I've long since lost visibility. There are sirens blaring every few seconds: tornado, lighting, and if there are hurricane sirens then I'm sure those too.

And where am I?

A sharp cry pierces the room and I ask God what I did to deserve this. There's a sharp tug on my shirt that nearly takes me to the ground. "Joe took my crayon!"

I exhale as slow as possible, trying to bring my heart rate down before I have a heart attack. "Joe" I call lazily. Three hours of this and I'm ready to die. Why oh why don't we have a DVD player in the daycare center? Things would be so much easier if I could just put a movie on.

Oh who am I kidding? No they wouldn't.

Joe walks up with that guilty smirk on his face. "Do you have Amelia's crayon?"

He opens his chubby fist and shows it to me. "Can you give it back?"

He shakes his head and drops it down his pants. Thank you Joe for making my day even more difficult. Amelia watches me with big eyes. I look at Joe with irritation. I'm not retrieving that. So I turn back to Amelia. "Can't you just use another color?"

She shakes her head furiously, of course not. "I _need_ that one!" she cries and points to Joe.

Something occurs to me that makes me slap my forehead mentally. "Amelia… what are you coloring?" I don't remember setting out paper or anything to color on. Now she has that guilty smirk. She points behind her and when I look, I groan and slump a little. I'm so fired. Now, instead of a light blue wall, we have an original mural by Amelia Moi.

I run my hand over my face and just try and shake it off. "Alright. Give me the crayons Amelia."

"No!" she cries and dashes for them.

I'm in pursuit when Tommy falls. He looks at me with wide eyes. I know that look; he's deciding if he's going to cry or laugh. Oh please laugh.

He opens his mouth in a wail and the waterworks begin. Of course. I scoop him up and place him on my hip. I rock and try and chase after Amelia who is defacing more property of the life center. I'm so fired. But I didn't sign up for this. Fourteen and older. That's it.

The entrance door opens and a little bell rings. _Please pick up a kid_, I beg internally and hurry over.

Oh why today? Paul Lahote has the absolute worst timing on the planet. I stop him when I hold a hand up. "Listen, I don't know why you're here but I can't do this right now ok? I'm really busy right now."

Tommy is still a balling mess on my hip and he tugs at my hair. I wince and try not to drop him. And when I take a quick glance behind me, Grace is giving a Barbie a haircut. "Grace!" I scream. She's startled and starts to cry. I snatch the scissors from her.

"Stressed?" Paul laughs.

I turn, scissors raised as a weapon. "Get out Paul! I'm at my limit right now."

He holds his hands up in surrender and takes a step back. He smirks for a second and I'm planning on how to cover Tommy's ears from whatever he's about to say. "That kid over there is eating glue."

I spin on my heal and put Tommy on the ground. It's his twin, Danny with a mouthful of white glue. I scoop him up and run him over to the sink. He doesn't want to spit it out so I have to stick my fingers in his mouth and scrape out the glue.

I want to cry. I have a dozen little toddlers running around like zoo animals and my stalker has decided to show his face. Plus the storm has probably ruined my car and because both Dad and I are at work, Missy is probably off getting pregnant. Danny squirms out of my arms and I sink down to the floor. I pull my knees up to my chest and rest my head on my knees. I just need a few minutes of quiet. I take shaky breathes and wait ten seconds to calm down a little. And when I open my eyes I smile a little.

Paul has either intentionally or not become a human jungle gym. The twins are latched on his legs and a little girl has made her way up to his shoulders. He stands there rather calmly and only flinches when one of them gives a sharp tug on his hair. His teeth are barred and he growls slightly. I stand up and pluck the girl from his shoulders.

"What are you supposed to be doing with these kids?"

I laugh sarcastically. "Nothing. This isn't my job. Every time there is a storm I'm sent down here to watch them and whoever was working here seems to disappear. And of course they leave me no keys for the closet and I have nothing to do with these kids until their parents come get them."

Paul eyes the closet for a second. He looks like he's thinking of breaking the door down. Well I wish him luck because believe me, I've tried. That door won't budge and all the toys are locked inside.

"Where are the parents?" he asks when he turns back to me.

I glance up at the ceiling. "Upstairs at the gym usually. Some drop the kids off and run but most are upstairs."

He nods. "I'll be back" he says. "Oh and that one girl is coloring the walls again."

"Amelia" I whine and stomp over to her. There is a whole garden drawn along the opposite wall of her other mural. I snatch the crayons from her hands and try not to let the crying that follows bother me. I do feel bad though. I know this is boring and I know they are only trying to find ways to entertain themselves. I'm not mad at them; I'm pissed at the girl who was _supposed_ to be working here. I'm only supposed to helping out, not working here.

I give up trying to keep the kids out of trouble. My only concern now is safety. I can clean later, but I can't bring a kid back if he dies. So I pull up one of the tiny chairs next to the door and keep my eyes out for anything sharp or poisonous. Paul has disappeared and I can't blame him either. I would book it out of here if I could.

I'm exhausted. I've already worked an eight hour shift and now I'll be here infinitely. My boss never tells me how long I'll be here. It's just assumed that I'll be fine staying until parents finally decide to pick up their kids. I check my phone once more but no one has called. I'm not sure what I'm expecting: a call to see if I'm still alive, or a call telling me that my sister got arrested.

The door flies open and I stare up, surprised to see a mob of parents. They all look disgruntled and rushed. Some nod at me but most just reach for their child and sign the sign-out sheet. I'm in a state of shock when the last kid is picked up. I've been here for an hour and all these kids were suddenly picked up within five minutes.

Paul strides smugly into the room. "What did you do?" I ask.

"Told them to get their asses down here already." Coming from a six foot something, muscly native like Paul that's enough threat in itself.

And now we've reached this awkward understanding. Paul is still my stalker and that creeps me out to no end. I seriously want nothing to do with this guy. But at the same time, he has helped me out big time here. I feel like I owe him but I remind myself that he owes _me_ for stalking me. _I'm the victim_, I remind myself.

"Thanks" I say. I grab my keys off the counter and slide past Paul out of the room.

"Where you going?" he asks, ever the faithful stalker. Oh well, at least I can have someone to talk to for a little bit.

"Here" I say and open up a storage closet. I fill my arms with an array of cleaners and paper towels before locking it back up. Paul watches me with curious and humored eyes. "I have to clean this up" I explain although I don't know why. It's not like he cares or really needs to know. But there's some self-conscious part of me that feels the need to explain and prove that I'm not a workaholic. But why do I care what he thinks? This guy is stalking me. If anything, I should keep everything to myself around him. He's a fantastic stalker because he's getting me to talk about myself around him without any push. I shiver because I'm even more freaked out now than before.

And this is Paul _Lahote_: the guy that tormented me throughout high school when we went to _different_ schools. He hates me and I hate him. So why is he helping me out here? And why the hell did he just open the door for me?

I eye him cautiously as I step under his arm and lay the cleaning supplies on the floor in front of one of Amelia's masterpieces. "So you always get stuck with the little brats?"

"Not always and it wouldn't be such a big deal if they left me something to do with the kids" I answer. Then I catch myself and realize that he's done it again: got me talking about myself.

I decide to flip the conversation. "So what are _you_ doing here?"

I soak a towel in soap and water in the sink and start scrubbing at the wall. At first the crayon stays and some I put more pressure on it until I'm using all my strength. Then I see the color start to disappear. I sigh knowing this is going to be more of a workout than anything I could do at the gym.

I have my back to Paul but I know he's smirking like usual. "Oh you know."

"Actually I don't. That's why I asked."

"What bit you?" he snaps.

There's so much I could say to that but I just bite my tongue. I keep scrubbing and my arms feel like they're going to fall off. It takes so much force to get this stupid crayon off. I'm surprised I'm not stripping the wall of its paint. After I finish that wall, I decide that I need a break. I step away and get started wiping down the tables. And what do you know, more crayon. Oh the joy.

There's a question that I've wanted to ask Paul but I've never actually wanted to approach him. And now that he's here, it feels like a great time to spring it on him. "Why'd you show up to that movie? Did Jared invite you?" Because I'll kill him if he did.

I can see Paul now and he looks like his usual pissed off self. "No" he says simply. As if that answers everything, _no_. Well that's great but I'd like to know why you were there then.

"So why'd you come?"

"Am I not allowed to see movies?"

"Typically not with people who didn't invite you or want to see you" I shoot back with my eyes to the table. I'm starting to think this isn't crayon.

He cocks an eyebrow and smirks. "So you didn't want me there?"

"Why would I have wanted you there?" It comes out mean and I can't say that I didn't mean it that way. He _is_ stalking me. I'm not supposed to want my stalker to stalk me. And I don't.

He wiggles his eyebrows. I scoff and look away. What a pervert.

"You seemed to like me holding you."

I widen my eyes. "Did you mistake squirming and struggling out of your grip for enjoying it?"

He says nothing but keeps his smirk. With a cocky look he takes a seat on the table I've just finished cleaning. We stare down each other but eventually I let it go because I've got a lot more cleaning to go and I'm starving. And I'm sure Paul thinks he's just won.

I move over to the next mural and start scrubbing again. As soon as I start I feel those same muscles tense and sore. I sigh and keep scrubbing.

Do I expect Paul to help? No. It's not his job and he doesn't need to work. But would it be nice? Yes. I would love some help so we can get out of here. If he's going to just sit around then he can at least help out. But that's not how Paul Lahote works. Because Paul Lahote would much rather watch and make remarks.

"You look tired."

Really Paul?

"I am" I snap. One more scrub and I get rid of all the paint. All that's left is the Barbie hair all over the floor that the little girls chopped off. I get down on my knees and scoop it all up with a wet paper towel. Who would have thought? Here I am, cleaning up after Barbie's haircut. I guess I could do worse.

I brush off my clothes and pick up all the cleaning stuff. Paul doesn't follow me this time but he's still in the room when I get back. "Are you done now?"

"Yes" I say and try not to snap at him. If anything he kept this time interesting so I owe him a little less attitude.

"Do you want to go get dinner?"

I hope my face is giving the answer that my mouth can't seem to form. "Are you serious?"

His face is stone cold and he doesn't seem like the person to joke. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"Because you tortured me for years. Because you've taken a sudden, creepy interest in me. Because you have been stalking me for a few weeks now. Because there is a massive storm right now."

He only shrugs and pulls out his wallet. "I'll pay."

My stomach growls and I think of my empty pockets. "Alright."


	7. I Must Be Sick

Most dates, the guy drives the girl. Good thing this isn't a date because I'm driving him. He didn't exactly explain to me how he got here in the rain without a car, but simply follows me to mine and jumps in the passenger seat.

There are a lot of warning lights going off in my head. First of all, he's in my car. I don't want that. But I don't think a truck could move this guy and I certainly can't get him out of my car. I tell myself that I'm just overreacting. I'm just driving him after all. Then again, this is Paul Lahote. And simple things are never simple with him.

This was a bad, spur of the moment idea and I think I'll regret it later. Unfortunately, the storm hasn't lessened much. I normally wouldn't drive in this but I'm feeling brave today and eager to get away from this place. The rain is thick and creates a nearly opaque sheet. I can just see three feet away and then it's all a blur of color. "Can you drive?" Paul asks.

I nod because I'm for sure not going to let him drive my car. I don't even want him sitting in it but I can't change that now.

I drive slower than I walk. I'm terrified to hit something. I've hit Paul twice and it was a normal day then. Now it's raining like crazy and I have the steering wheel in a white-knuckled grip. I lean forward as if that will help me see better. Paul smirks but I ignore him.

I also ignore him when he changes the radio station to something oldies. I like oldies too but I don't say this aloud. I'm too focused and I don't really want to encourage him to talk with me. This is strictly his buying me food.

"Where are we going?" I ask after we pass the first little restaurant; it has its lights off and is closed, I'm assuming, for the storm.

"Anywhere that's open" he says.

This turns out to be more than a challenge. I drive by three more places and a strip mall that have all closed for the crazy weather. More than once I have to swerve out of the way of a fallen tree branch that I couldn't see until we were five feet away. I'm starting to think we should just go home and wait out the flood.

And just when I'm about to voice these opinions, my car decides to commit suicide. "Not now" I beg for more than one reason. I try my best to restart it but it won't make a noise, let alone move. I throw my head back and groan.

A door opens and then closes quickly. I turn and see Paul climbing around to the front of the car. I just pray no one flies by because they won't see us until they hit us. Paul pops the hood and ponders the engine for a second before pulling my door open. "The engine's shot. How far away do you live?"

I peer out the window and try and figure out where exactly we are. Everything is more confusing and difficult in the rain. "Maybe a mile or two" I say unsure.

"I'm going to go push" he says.

I reach through the door and grab his arm. He stops and for once doesn't smirk. He is all serious now. "Are you crazy?"

He just shakes his head. "Get back in the car" I demand. I may not be very fond of him, but I'm not going to make him stand out in the rain. And I'm certainly not going to make him push my car for a mile. Besides, if he gets hit again I don't want him holding it over my head so I go on another date with him. I'd say I don't want him to get hurt but I'm not too sure what _can _hurt this guy.

He clambers back into the passenger seat and then just stares at me. "Now what?" he asks.

Well, I can honestly say that I hadn't thought that far. My car is going to need to be towed. I know that much. But I'm not going to get a truck out here anytime soon. And I don't think walking home is a very safe choice. Because not two seconds ago another tree went down a few feet over. That's a little unnerving. "We wait" I sigh.

I wish the radio still worked. Actually, no. If I had to pick something to work I would pick the engine. And then I would pick the heater because now that it's off and we've released the heat in the car outside I'm freezing. I wrap my arms around myself and try not to think about it.

Something warm is placed around my shoulders. I meet Paul's eyes as he finishes adjusting his hoodie around me. My eyes travel across his bare shoulder to his absolutely shirtless waist. Seeing as I'm not too fond of Paul, it's awful of me to stare. And it's even worse that I can't help but notice he has incredible abs.

He catches my obvious staring and there's that cocky grin again. "When you're ready to crawl over here, let me know." Well now I'm determined to stay away.

"Thanks" I say, meaning for the hoodie. "Aren't you cold though?"

"You tell me."

Why does he play these games? Isn't this awkward enough. I touch his hand and it's burning hot. I stare quizzically at him. Something isn't right there. "You're lucky" I say nonchalantly.

He nods. "Very."

I spin to face him quickly and catch him off guard. "Tell me something. Why did you torture me all those years? And why are you suddenly so interested in me?"

He looks confused. "I didn't torture you."

"You called me paleface for four years" I snap. No one ever thinks that the white kid is made fun of. They always say that the minorities are the ones that face bullying. Well, here the minorities do the bullying and it's reflected at me, the white girl living on the reservation border.

"Sorry about that" he mumbles so low I almost don't hear. Almost.

"Did you just… apologize?" Paul Lahote doesn't apologize. I didn't even think that he knew the word sorry.

He won't look me in the eye but stares straight ahead where the rain is pounding like crazy. "I… I didn't think about how much it hurt you. I'm sorry Lucy. I'm really sorry."

I let those words tumble around my head for a few minutes. Paul is _sorry_? He says he didn't know it would hurt me. Well that's a bunch of bull because what did he expect, me to be flattered? But then again, he is a boy. Boys don't really understand the impact of the things they say. "It's alright" I say. "But why do you suddenly care? What's changed?"

He laughs and I shiver. Because for a second there, I thought how nice Paul's laugh is. It's… comforting. It's the kind of laugh that makes you feel welcome and warm. And that's not what I'd expect from Paul. "So how more than you could possibly understand right now."

"Will I ever understand?"

He nods and now he looks at me. There's something in his eyes that I've never seen before. Sincerity? "You will. I'll make sure of it."

We sit in silence now. The cold starts to seep in again. I can feel a little bit of heat radiating from the boy next to me. I'm extremely jealous of him. How can he be so warm when I'm freezing? Maybe he's sick. He did feel a little feverish. But I'd take a fever right now to feel warm. I sneak a glance and scold myself for it. Because he looks so welcoming and for once I think I really would like his arms around me. But that's what he wants so I have to refuse myself.

Five minutes later and the rain hasn't let up. No cars have passed us since and I'm starting to get a little scared. I'm practically stranded. But I'm not alone. And that thought comforts me a little. But now I'm starting to wonder how bad it would be to give Paul what he wants. Maybe my mind is slow from the cold but I can't see any major consequences other than some usual teasing and torment. I can handle that for warmth.

_Now,_ I tell myself. _I'll go… now._ But somehow I can't get my body to move over. It's like I'm crossing some invisible barrier. My brain tells my body to go but it's refusing. _Now. Go now._ But I'm still not moving. And Paul's not as persistent anymore. Maybe that's why I can't move. I'm afraid that he doesn't want to hold me? That sounds stupid but I can't shake the truth of it.

But I know Paul. Or at least I know a little about him. He's stubborn and he doesn't chase after anyone. He'll wait for me to come to him.

I sigh and raise the armrest. I catch sight of his raised eyebrows but try not to pay any mind. Because I know below them is a smirk. I drag my body over the counsel and onto his chair. That's enough for Paul. He wraps his warm and toned arms around my waist and lifts me onto his lap. "Took you long enough" he whispers.

"Shut up" I say without the power I had hoped it would have. He just laughs and I pull his arms around me more. His warmth is intoxicating. Now that I know I don't have to freeze like I have been, I can't get enough of his heat.

"You're freezing Luce" he says. Two things catch me. The first, that he called me Luce. I've always been paleface or, more recently, Lucy to him. And the fact that he sounds concerned.

I just nod and fall back against his chest. It's only after I do that I remember how shirtless he is. I can feel every muscle behind my back and it does strange things to me. My heart swells a little and something in me cries _mine_. I want this to be mine.

What the hell is wrong with me? It has to be the cold. Maybe I'm getting sick. One of those kids probably got me sick.

I think he knows because I feel the muscles of his abdomen tense as he flexes them. His arm muscles also have suddenly flexed. I'd lie if I said I wasn't impressed. I know what he is doing but somehow I can't fight it.

"I think I'm getting sick" I say. I don't know why I say it. Maybe to excuse my emotions or to warn him.

My heart picks up the pace when I feel breath by my ear. It tickles and I am frozen in the moment. "I don't mind" he whispers slowly and seductively.

Since when have I ever thought Paul is seductive? Something really must be wrong with me.


	8. 180

It's another hour before the rain stops. Paul is reluctant to let me go and I'm reluctant to leave the warmth of his embrace. "We should get out and check the car" I say. Paul growls, something he seems to do often, lightly in my ear.

"Why?" he whispers.

And I have no answer for that. I've been gone for over three hours and no one has called to see if I'm even alive. Missy is probably… actually, I don't want to think about that. And Dad is at work. But still, a call would have been nice. And what about Paul? I know he has a mom. Isn't she worried? I sneak a glance, trying to see if Paul looks anxious but he catches me.

He smirks and I turn away quickly. "I don't think you want to go" he laughs.

Now I push out of his arms and jump out of the car. My shoes are instantly soaked. The water is up to my shins and I groan because now my shoes are ruined and I don't have the money to replace them. But they're already ruined so I move on. I hear a splash and glance to see that Paul has joined me. We meet at the back of the car. Paul inspects for a minute and then rubs his hands across his jeans.

"What are you doing?" I ask when he bends and puts his hands on the bumper.

"What's it look like?" Then he gives the car an effortless shove. It rolls a few dozen feet.

My eyes are as wide as they can get. Paul bends down to push again but I stop him with a hand on his arm. "Paul?" His eyes light up for a split second, as if he's shared a secret he wasn't supposed to. "How the hell did you do that?"

Paul just shakes his head and the surprise from before is gone. "Do you want your car moving or not?"

"You can't push it all the way" I protest. A part of me is still shocked with his strength. And the rest is amazed by his stubbornness. I don't know much about the capability of the human body, but I'm pretty sure it's not normal for one person to push an entire car through water by himself with little effort.

Paul scoffs. "You should have more faith in me." He gives it another shove. My car protests with a groan but it moves nonetheless.

"Paul stop" I say and throw my arm out in front of him. He gives me a look that makes me feel like a child. "Let me call a tow truck" I beg.

He rolls his eyes. "Whatever."

While I'm on the phone, he gets back in the car. He's sitting in the driver's seat now and I don't pretend not to notice when I sit down on the passenger's side. "What are you doing?"

He stares straight ahead. "They're going to try and take advantage of you" he says matter-of-factly. "They won't try anything with me."

I don't know how to feel. Mostly insulted because Paul thinks I can't stand up for myself or know when I'm being had. I climb around to his side of the car and throw the door open. "Get out" I growl.

He raises an eyebrow at me and laughs. "Get in the car little girl" he mocks.

I glare. "Get. Out."

"What are you going to do?" he teases with an ever-present smirk.

"I'll call the police. This _is _my car. And if I want you out, you're going to get out" I say feeling powerful and strong.

Paul crushes all of this confidence in one fluid move. "Feisty little thing." I think it's the word little that really bothers me. I'm not little. I've had the body of a twenty year old since I was in sixth grade. I'm not skinny and I'm not short. I'm not little.

Paul still refuses to move. "Did you think I was kidding?"

He stays silent which is strange because Paul always has a comment. I don't catch what he's doing, but I see his arm dart out. He grabs me around the waist and my feet are swept out from under me when he pulls me onto his lap again. "Let me go! I swear to God, Paul!"

He just chuckles and kisses my neck. I freeze feeling his lips on mine. I can feel every place that his skin is in contact with mine, like he's just imprinted his lips on me. The place he kisses me tingles and it's everything I've never thought I could ever feel from Paul. It's beautiful and there's so much love and comfort in that kiss that I'm completely frozen. Paul laughs and the vibrations in his chest shake me but I can't shake off the haze he's just put me in. "What's the matter?" he teases.

That brings me back. I slap his chest and push away from him. "You're such an ass!" I shout and stand waiting for him to get out of my car.

"You don't seem to mind."

"Asshole" I mutter.

…

It takes more than an hour for the tow truck to come. And I feel bad for the guy because by the time he arrives, I'm in a bad mood because of Paul and I'm not as friendly as I could be. The trip to the mechanics is even worse because the three of us are squished in the truck. The guy makes small talk that neither Paul or I put any effort into keeping up. So eventually the radio replaces conversation until we're back in La Push per Paul's directions against my desire to go to Forks. And guess who our mechanic is?

Jacob takes one look at my car and shakes his head. "You really can't drive can you?"

"Shut up" I threaten with a pointed finger. Paul snorts and I spin on my heal but he just smirks when I march over. "This is partially your fault" I remind him.

"Of course it is" he talks down to me as if I'm a child. And this angers me more than the awful day I've had.

I give up on him for the moment and turn back to Jake. "Can you fix it?"

"You're asking me to bring something back to life." My shoulders slump and I groan inwardly. I'm going to have to buy a new car and that means further college debt that I'll never pay off. "Yeah, I can fix it."

"But you just said…" I try not to sound as hopeful as I am inside.

Jacob chuckles. "I'm the best damn mechanic in Washington. I've got this Lucy."

"Thank you! Thank you!" I gush and can barely contain myself. I almost jump him but I don't because I don't want to freak him out. "I'll pay you whatever you want." And I will because any number he can think of is lower than that of a new used car.

Jacob just shakes his head. "You don't owe me anything."

My eyebrows furrow. "Why would you do that for me?" Jacob and I hardly know each other. Jared and I are best friends but Jacob is a couple years younger than us and I've don't really hang out with him other than in our large group. It seems odd for him to just fix my car for free. Maybe drop the price a little, but not for free.

His eyes shift behind me but I'm too slow to catch whatever face Paul is making. "Well I appreciate it a lot. If there's anything you need, call me."

He nods and smiles. "So…" he elongates the word in a sing-song voice. "You and Paul huh?"

My eyes widen. What the heck is Paul telling people?

"Umm… no?"

Jacob's eyebrows raise and he coughs awkwardly. His hand raises into his hair and he stutters for a second. "S-sorry. I… uh… I thought."

I shake my head. "No it's ok."

Paul's hand lands on my hip. It's big and warm and very possessive. The gesture is a claim. A claim of me. I pinch his hand and pluck it from my body. I spin on my heal and glare at him. I hear Jacob swear behind me. Even he knows Paul is screwed. "You're ridiculous!" I snap. I march out of the shop. And the bastard has the nerve to snicker.

I pull out my phone, never stopping in my march from Paul. I'm so furious with him right now. How can he keep pulling 180s like this. One minute he's sweet. And that's a short minute, but a minute still. But the next he's an asshole all over again. I can't figure this guy out. There are no patterns to his personality. He's just… infuriating.

"Hey Jared. Listen, could you pick me up? My car broke down during the storm."

"Are you alright?" he asks. I hear him shuffling around, probably pulling on his shoes and getting his keys if I know my best friend.

"Yeah, I'm fine" I say but it comes out angry and I know it before he points it out. "It's kind of a long story."

"Paul?" he guesses. I hear an engine start.

"Yeah" I breathe through my teeth. "Him."


End file.
